Nigeria’s number two man, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has finally spoken on the ongoing #EndSARS protests which have spread wildly across the country and the rest of the world.
It will be recalled that there have been calls for the vice-president, who is a professor of law, to speak up on the demand by the youth to end police brutality in Nigeria.
On Friday night, the vice-president apologised to Nigerians for the slow response of the federal government to the issues.
“Dear Nigerians, I know that many of you are angry, and understandably so. We could’ve moved faster and for this we are sorry,” he wrote.
“I fully understand how many young people feel. Many feel that we have been too silent and have simply not done enough. These feelings of frustration are justified.
“There are far too many people who have been brutalised at the hands of the police and this is unacceptable. We must take responsibility for protecting young people, even sometimes from those who are paid to protect them.
“Over the past week, we have been following the protests, and I have had a number of discussions with key people in the administration that you deserve to be informed about. Transparency, after all, is a key tenet of government.”
He said he has held meetings with governors, the executives of the national assembly and other key stakeholders to ensure justice is served fast.
“We understand that you want to see action from us and I’m here to tell you that work is ongoing. I chaired a meeting of 36 state governors and the Minister of the FCT (NEC), where we resolved to set up judicial panels of inquiry so we can see justice served, and fast,” he added.
“The reason being that only state governors, by law, can set up judicial inquiries in their states. The hearings will be public.
“With Mr. President’s approval, SARS has been completely disestablished, and none of its former members will feature in any police tactical units.”
More to follow…
